A Rough Guide to Rivalry
by JudithWilde
Summary: "You can call us Sylvia and Eric or Mom and Dad or Mr and Mrs Wilde. Whatever you're comfortable with," 16-year-old Judy Hopps has been in the foster care system for as long as she could remember, so when a Fox couple decides to adopt her, she cant believe her luck. That feeling is short lived, though, because of a certain Fox she now has to live with.
1. Chapter 1

Judy never really thought of herself as a hero. All she did was help her foster brother from falling out of a tree. The young Cheetah had been so afraid and Judy hadn't noticed someone was filming. The news framed it as some heartwarming story of predator and prey tensions falling in the younger generations. The articles sounded something like _Watch as the cute little Bunny saves a small Cheetah. The younger generation has put aside their differences and we now have hope for the future._ She didn't care so much for being described as cute but she loved being called a hero. She'd spent hours looking at every article and comment, grinning the whole time. Maybe she really could make a difference in the world like all these mammals had been saying. A week later, a family showed up wanting to adopt her.

Adoption. It was a concept Judy had let go of a long time ago. Once someone was past thirteen, there was close to no chance of them getting adopted. Judy was sixteen and only had a year and a half before she aged out. So when a family from over 200 miles away came to adopt her after seeing the news report, Judy was dumbfounded. "You can call us Sylvia and Eric or Mom and Dad or Mr and Mrs Wilde. Whatever you're comfortable with," they'd said. They told her that they had a son and other things about themselves. Judy had nodded in response, while telling little about herself in return. She'd been shocked to see that they were Foxes, not only a different species, but predators. It was pretty strange in her mind but, all in all, she was happy to be adopted by anyone.

Judy had tolerated her life. Her foster home gave her food, shelter, and a bed, though she had to share hers with another girl. As long as she did her chores and kept herself out of sight, no one bothered her. She was sad to leave some of the kids she'd spent the past year and a half with but, since she switched homes multiple times, she'd never gotten close enough for any future separation to hurt. She still had some scars from being taken from past foster homes and she never wanted to experience that again. After the papers were signed, the couple simply looked at her with polite smiles and told her about the famous city she'd heard about her entire life. Zootopia was always described as this booming metropolis where everyone was happy and, from Sylvia and Eric's stories, the ideas seemed true. She instantly liked the middle aged couple who wanted to be her parents. It was scary to believe that she would have a family for the rest of her life, but Judy was a sucker for hope and she always fell into it.

The plane ride had been short and Judy didn't say much. It almost seemed like a sudden word or movement would make her wake up from the dream she had to be having. She played with her carrot necklace to keep from over thinking. Later, Eric switched seats with her so that Judy could look out the window as they landed. The city looked huge and vibrant. Suddenly, the reality of the situation hit her and Judy felt her eyes grow misty.

"Are you ready, honey?" Sylvia asked her. Judy snapped out of her moment when she heard the term of endearment. Growing up, mammals had always called her pet names to belittle her. Everyone thought Judy was weak when they met her. It was pretty annoying. "Please don't call me that." Judy kept her tone casual as the stood to leave the plane.

"What?" Sylvia's brows drew together in concern.

Judy didn't want to beat around the bush. "I don't like nicknames. Just call me Judy."

Her new parents' eyes widened. Most were taken aback at how direct and to-the-point Judy could be. She loved the looks of surprise she received when others realized she wasn't just a timid little Bunny.

"Of course. We understand, Judy," Eric said, pulling Judy's small suitcase down.

She couldn't hold back her smile. "Thanks." She almost pinched herself. It all seemed to surreal and once they were out of the airport, she actually did. The city didn't fade away and she didn't wake up in her bed at her foster home. This was real.

After a long drive full of beautiful sights, they finally reached their neighborhood. Eric and Sylvia showed Judy her room and then gave her a tour of the condo. It was carpeted and had two levels. It wasn't as nice as the houses the mammals in TV shows tended to live in, but it was nicer than any place Judy had ever stayed at. The fact that she got her own room made her tear up again. Once Judy had seen every part of the condo, she asked to be alone for a while. She liked Sylvia and Eric's company, but she was used to being alone, and their constant presence was too unfamiliar. They told her that their son would be getting home from school soon and that he was excited to meet her. "We'll be downstairs if you get hungry," Eric said before closing the door.

Judy looked around at her her new room. It was mostly bare with a few accents of color. She supposed she'd personalize the room in her own time. The walls were white and the few decorations were too girly for her taste, but they were hers, so she liked them just the same. She had a lamp and a white dresser and desk. The dresser had clothes in it that also didn't match her preferences. She pulled out a bright yellow sundress that had ruffles at the bottom and realized that the it was made with a younger girl in mind. After searching a bit, Judy found some grey leggings and a T-shirt that made her comfortable when she put it all on. Her bed was in the corner beside a medium sized window that looked out to the grassy area behind the condos. In the distance, past some trees, Judy could see a mailman delivering stacks of papers and kids playing at a small park on the edge of the neighborhood. It wasn't long before her stomach grumbled. It was past noon and all she'd eaten that day had been a small breakfast and refreshments on the plane.

"Ready to eat?" Sylvia asked once Judy stepped down the stairs. Sylvia had made her a large salad with plenty of carrots and other veggies mixed in. It was too much for Judy to finish and she got through half of it before feeling too full to continue. Sylvia sat across from her, eating a soup with bugs as the protein. Judy hid her disgust. She never understood how predators could stand to eat like that, but she knew it was a biological necessity, so she kept quiet about it.

"What do you think of your room?" Sylvia asked.

"It's great," Judy quipped.

"We weren't sure how to decorate it so we can go to the store later and pick out some things. What do you think of that?" Judy wasn't used to mammals providing her with more than the basic necessities of living. Judy nodded in response. "We just want you to feel more at home."

Judy nodded again and a silence fell between them. Sylvia was focused on her soup and wasn't pressuring her to talk, so it wasn't awkward. Judy noticed the green grass and blue sky out of the kitchen window and spoke. "I was wondering if I could walk around the neighborhood. It looks really nice out." Judy was curious about the city and wanted to explore the residential area at least.

"Alone?" Sylvia's smile tightened slightly, telling Judy that she didn't like the idea of it. Judy preferred to go alone but wouldn't mind if someone joined her. Sylvia's reaction was unexpected though. "I'm sorry. When we were with the social worker, he said that teens adoptions often result in runaways. Especially if the adoption is new. Also, I'd feel better if you weren't by yourself outside. The city isn't crime-free, you know."

"Yeah," Judy answered. Sylvia stating something so obvious, as if Judy didn't know crime existed, didn't sit well with her. She was used to mammals assuming she was a dumb Bunny so it didn't disappoint her too much. She'd just have to prove Sylvia wrong sometime soon.

"Well maybe Nick will take you. He should be on the way back from soccer practice."

"Soccer?" While she wasn't the best, Judy had enjoyed playing the game in her high school's soccer club. Where she lacked in skill, she made up for in power and speed.

"Do you play?"

"Sometimes."

"Oh great! Maybe you two can bond over that. The social worker said it's really important for new siblings to find a common interest. Oh gosh, its like it was meant to be." Sylvia grinned at Judy as if she were the key to happiness. It made her want to squirm a bit. Just then, the front door opened and closed. Judy couldn't see any of it, but she heard Eric's voice in the other room speaking too quietly for Judy to hear.

Sylvia stood up, her eyes bright with excitement. "Come on so you can meet him." Judy tried to appear calm but she was starting to get nervous. Everytime she had to change foster homes, she'd also change schools, leaving behind the friends she'd made. Soon she learned not to get too close in case she'd have to leave them. Now that she was adopted, she wanted friends that she could keep forever. The possibility of meeting a new one made her ears stiff.

Once she stepped past the archway into the living room, the saw him. He looked around her age, a little older, and covered in dirt and grass stains. He was dressed sporty in sneakers and shorts that came to his knees topped off with red, disheveled fur. In his left arm he held a soccer ball and in his right, a school bag.

Judy looked back at Sylvia who gave an encouraging nod. Judy took a breath and faced Nick. "Hi. I'm Judy." She gave a small wave and shifted her weight towards Sylvia. For some reason the action made her feel more secure.

Nick's eyes looked down at the tips of her ears, then to her nervous expression, her teeth biting her lip, then falling to her carrot necklace, her shirt, her leggings, and finally to her foot tapping lightly at the ground. Then he turned to Eric, his father. "You said she'd be here on Tuesday." Judy's mouth fell open just a bit at his rebuff.

Eric sighed and shot Judy an apologetic look. "No, we said Monday. Go wash up upstairs and then we'll have dinner later, alright?" Eric's words were more of an order than a question. Judy felt some envy in the way Eric held such an authoritative tone in his voice. If Judy could talk like that then no one would underestimate her. Judy still stared open-mouthed as Nick brushed past her and up the stairs. She didn't understand what she'd done wrong and she replayed the scene in her head a few times to figure it out.

She felt a paw touch her shoulder and saw that it was Sylvia. "Give him time. He might have had a bad day."

Eric spoke up. "That's no excuse for him to behave that way. I should go up there and make him-"

"Eric," Sylvia warned. "He and Judy are going on a walk in the neighborhood. He can introduce himself then. You know he gets shy sometimes."

Judy almost laughed. If that was shy, she didn't want to know what actually getting to know him would be like.


	2. Chapter 2

"Do you want to finish your food?" Sylvia asked Judy. The thought of eating more made Judy's stomach hurt. She'd already eaten more than her fill.

"No I'm pretty full." Sylvia frowned in concern.

"Oh, did I give you too much?"

"Maybe a little." Judy shrugged.

"I guess I forgot to take account our...differences." Judy wasn't sure why Sylvia had avoided saying "species" as if the word were offensive. Sylvia moved to put away the dishes and Judy stood, unsure of where to go. She didn't want to run into Nick if she went upstairs but she felt the urge to be alone again. The bad encounter made her want to take a break from socializing for a while.

"Judy?" Eric's voice called from the living room. She walked over to the grown Fox watching TV. "Have you seen this movie before?"

Judy studied the screen before recognizing it. "Yeah, the one with the robots that kill everyone, right?"

He snickered. "Way to spoil the ending." Eric didn't seem to mind so she didn't apologize.

"Wanna watch it with me before your _first-class_ tour of the neighborhood?"

She still would have preferred solitude, but she liked this movie and needed something to pass the time. Judy went to sit on the other side of the couch. She barely took up half the cushion and she stretched out so not to look too small. "First class? I'm assuming that's a joke?" Judy realized too late that her words about Nick may have been rude, but she relaxed when Eric laughed again.

"Yes. It's definitely a joke."

At the ending battle scene of the movie, Nick finally descended the stairs. Judy hadn't noticed until Eric greeted him. "Geez. I almost didn't recognize you with clean fur." Judy twisted in the direction Eric was looking. Nick wore fitted jeans and a grey hoodie. His fur looked sort of damp from what must have been a shower, but he seemed to have brushed it to look nice. Eric patted the cushion between himself and Judy. "Come finish the movie with us, Nicky."

Nick sped to the door and spoke while opening it. "Already saw it. I was just going to David's so-,"

"Actually," Eric interjected, "You're going to show Judy around the neighborhood first." Nick froze like one of the malfunctioning robots from the movie.

"You want me to-" His eyes shifted to Judy who looked away, embarrassed to be caught staring. "Alright, fine." Judy looked back up, seeing a completely different Nick. He smiled as if he had no cares in the world and strode out the front door. The complete shift in Nick's mood threw her off.

"Judy?" Eric prompted after a moment. "Did you see that he left?"

"Oh, right." Judy said her goodbyes and closed the door on her way out.

The air was warm and the sun shone so brightly, Judy had to shield her eyes. She saw Nick crossing the street all the way at the end of the sidewalk. Judy ran a block to catch up with him. Her fur was too thick to run in this weather and it showed in her heavy breathing. "How'd you get here so fast?"

Nick stared out blankly, as if she weren't there, and still walked at the same quick pace. "Hey!" Judy ran ahead of him, blocking his path. He tried to walk around but she moved the same way.

He crossed his arms and stared down at her. "What?"

"Just-" She hadn't thought through exactly what she wanted to say. Be nicer? Stop ignoring her? Stop treating her like a disease?

"Trouble thinking?" Nick asked after a few seconds.

"Just stop walking so fast," Judy said, standing straighter to appear assertive. His legs were longer and, even though Judy could keep up, the extra movements made the warm weather feel sweltering.

"No can do. I have somewhere to be." Nick moved around her and continued down the way. Judy considered going back to the condo, but her curiosity got the better of her, so she followed closely behind. Almost every mammal they passed was a Fox of a different age or size. Most exchanged greetings with Nick as they passed.

"Why are so many Foxes here?"

Nick breathed impatiently. "De facto segregation. Look it up." It was like a burden for him to give a simple answer. He apparently saw her as a chore so Judy resolved to stay silent. If anything, she could ask his parents questions when they returned.

It wasn't until they reached a more diverse commercial area that Judy began to feel the stirrings of doubt.

They weren't touring the neighborhood which meant they were going against the instructions Eric gave. "Where are we going?" Judy looked around at the colorful shops and street signs. Nothing appeared familiar and her guide's fast pace wasn't helping.

Nick gestured to himself. "I'm going to meet a friend. You can do whatever you'd like."

Judy almost tripped. "What? You can't just leave me!"

"You're right. Let's just call it splitting up."

"You're kidding," she objected. Nick stopped so abruptly, Judy almost walked into his back.

He turned to face her. "Listen, Carrots. Where I'm going, you aren't welcome. Don't make this difficult."

Judy glanced at her glass carrot necklace. "Don't call me that." Nick ignored her comment and rested his hands on his knees, bending to Judy's level. "Why don't you go into that ice cream shop over there and wait for me to come back." He dug into his pocket, pulling some money out.

Judy didn't move. He was leaving her alone in a place that may as well have been an alien planet. She had no phone and she'd already forgotten the way back to the condo. Nick must have sensed her anxiety because he said, "Calm down, you're fine. Besides, if I go back with you damaged or lost I'll never hear the last of it." Judy was pretty sure his comment implied she was some store-bought item. She was ready to object just to spite him, but then she got another idea.

"Fine." She took the money.

His annoyance seemed to fade slightly. "Good choice. I'll be back in an hour."

Judy inched towards the ice cream shop and watched Nick walk away until he reached the end of the block. When there was enough distance to give Judy cover, she went in his direction. It wasn't hard to follow him. She stayed far enough so that he wouldn't notice but close enough to see his red fur past all the mammals on the busy sidewalks. They left the communal area of small, colorful shops and entered the world of intimidating mammals in suits and tall glass buildings that seemed to touch the clouds. Judy made sure to memorize the streets and turns so she could find her way back if anything went wrong.

After ten more minutes of walking, Nick jogged up a male Fox who sat on cement stairs leading to a library. If they were working on some assignment Nick could have brought her, so it wasn't that. Small thrills went through her belly at the idea of learning whatever secret Nick didn't want her to know about. The large stone library had bushes on either side of its outdoor stairs. Judy hid behind one and peeked around it. The two Foxes looked like they were having an argument. The sounds of the city made it hard to understand their words.

When Nick and the other Fox went up the stairs and into the Zootopia Public Library, Judy kept her distance. Once inside, she grabbed a newspaper and pretended to read it so Nick wouldn't recognize her if he looked back. The interior of the library was all marble and wood with its high ceilings held up by huge columns. Paintings were everywhere, showing the medieval world from centuries ago. Orange sunlight streamed in from the large windows signalling that sunset was near. If it got too dark outside she'd go back to the ice cream shop and investigate another time. Judy tore her gaze from the sights and continued towards the Foxes who were currently going upstairs. She followed them until they reached an area with round, wooden tables and computers. There was a section ahead of various private rooms and the Foxes entered one, closing the door. STUDY ROOM 219, it read. When she caught up, Judy put her ear to the door and heard the other Fox speaking.

"What do you think is wrong with it?"

"I don't know! I called Tiny but he's doing shit right now," said Nick's voice.

"Well we can't just leave it like this."

"Thanks for that fascinating insight. Now all are problems are solved!"

"Dude, I'm just trying to think this through."

"And what do you have?"

It was quiet for a few beats before the other Fox spoke.

"Wait.. We can borrow my Ma's keycard! Follow me,"

Judy heard Nick laugh. "Yeah. _Borrow_."

She quickly moved away from the door when she heard the sound of foot steps. Nothing happened, though, and she went back to listening in. The room was silent and Judy wondered if there was another exit. She couldn't risk entering the room since they could still be inside, and there was no way around the other rooms. Judy heard someone clear their throat behind her and gasped thinking it was Nick. It was a librarian. He was a tall Bear with an ugly tie and vest combination. "Ma'am do you need help?"

"Me?" It was a stupid question but she used it to stall. "I'm just here with two Foxes around my age."

"Foxes?"

"For a school project," Judy added. The librarian's puzzled expression eased and he looked around.

"I think I see them down in the lobby." Judy looked over, too short to see past the wood banister. She'd just have to take his word for it.

"Thanks." She sped across the room and down the staircase, almost getting trampled at one point by a few Moose. Once in the lobby she scanned the area for Nick and spotted him by himself across the room. He was typing into his phone, looking up every few seconds for someone. Judy sat at one of the benches lining the walls and hid behind her newspaper.

About five minutes passed before the other Fox went over to Nick. After exchanging some words, they went to the stairs again, this time to go down.

They went down two levels with Judy following, and then down a narrow hall that held no other mammals. Judy peeked around a corner as they reached a door that read AUTHORIZED MAMMALS ONLY. The other Fox swiped a card on the edge of the doorway and the door opened automatically. The two stepped through and the door began to close. Judy raced forward and was able to squeeze through because of her small stature. This hallway had dimmed, flickering lights and cement floors that were rough on her feet. It was dark enough that if they turned around, Judy would be hidden in the shadows along the wall.

They stopped halfway down and Judy hid closeby in a doorway.

"What's the code?" Nick asked, his paw hovering at a lit up keypad.

"Two nine zero three." Nick punched in the numbers and they entered the room. The door was too thick for her to hear what was going on inside and she barely heard them exiting the room before rushing away. The door opened and they walked out and back down the hall. When the coast was clear, Judy put the code into the keypad. She had to hop a bit because it was too tall for her.

Inside, it was pitch black and she felt the walls for a lightswitch, but couldn't find one. In her blind wandering she bumped into something, the sound only making a small dud in the silent room. Judy touched the thing and found that it was smooth like laminated paper but also sturdy.

"Cardboard," she whispered. Judy followed her paw along its surface until she reached an edge, then she went to the other edge, counting about four feet of width. She tapped her nails on the box and the sound showed that it was solid instead of hollow. Judy smelled her paw and almost sneezed. Dust. This box had been there a while. She continued around the box, measuring its proportions and, when she reached the end on the other side, there was another box right next to it. At the end of the second box, another, and another. The way they'd been set up made her sense they were stacked high. They were also set up in a curving maze that left a pathway for whoever wanted to search them.

Judy heard the beeping sounds of the keypad and the door opening again. This wasn't a Fox. The steps were far heavier than what Nick or the other Fox could make. She heard loud shuffling from across the room and then a bright beam of light flashed across the room. A flashlight. Judy's breathing picked up as she felt around for somewhere to hide. Then she remembered it was pitch black where she was and she could just stand there. It would be better than accidentally hitting something, making her presence known. _Don't point the light at me_ , she mentally willed the mammal. The beam of light was nearing her and she could hear her heart beating it inched closer. This wasn't going to end well.


	3. Chapter 3

The sound of the beeping keypad came again and someone else entered. The light from the flashlight went out instantly.

"Yeah, I think I left it in here. I'll just meet you later," said Nick's voice. Judy heard his light footsteps but she couldn't tell where he was going. The footsteps stopped and sniffing sounds reached her ears. Could he smell the mammal?

Then his voice came again. "What the hell are you doing here?" Judy couldn't see a thing and her chest clenched at the idea of the large mammal hurting Nick. She held her breath and kept still so they wouldn't hear her. The footsteps got louder and nearer. "Hey, Carrots. Are you deaf?"

Judy gasped. It sounded like he was standing right in front of her. "What? How can you see me?" She said to the blackness.

"I have night vision, you idiot. Come on," She felt Nick grab her upper arm, pulling her forward.

Judy held her ground and tried to imitate Eric's commanding tone. "Tell me what you're doing here!" She stomped her foot for added effect.

"Quit trying to be cute and let's go." Suddenly, Judy was being pulled away from her failed hiding spot.

"I'm not- Don't call me that." They made a few turns to evade whatever the tall things Judy had bumped into were and Nick froze. Judy almost lost her balance from the sudden stop.

"What did you do with it?" With a soft click, light filled the room and Judy looked around for the other mammal she heard. As she'd guessed there were large boxes stacked on both sides of the room. No one else was there and she didn't really want to look for them if they were hiding.

"What?" Judy's eyes still darted around, trying to calm the fear response that came when the mysterious mammal entered the room.

Nick's eyes darkened and he moved into her personal space, still gripping her arm. "You need to tell me right now what you did with it." Judy jerked her arm away.

"Are you threatening me?" she challenged. She had no idea what Nick meant but she wouldn't let him talk to her like that. He studied her face for a moment and sighed.

"You don't know, do you?" Nick asked.

"No. I don't."

He dragged a paw over his face, breathing deeply. "Come on. Dinner's almost ready and my dad wants us back." He headed to the door. Judy didn't want any confrontations between Nick and whoever else was in the room. She decided to tell him about it after they left.

Judy couldn't tie any clues together to figure out what was happening. While they were leaving she asked, "What were you doing down there?"

Nick just gave her a sideways look that told her to drop the subject.

"What happened to your pants?" Judy asked once they left the building. There was a huge black stain on the hem of his jeans that still looked slightly wet. Nick ignored her and hailed a taxi. He told the driver his address and went to texting on his phone. Judy decided now was the time to tell him about the unexpected visitor from the basement of the library. "Hey Nick?"

"Do me a favor and shut up for at least five minutes," he snapped, typing faster into his phone. Judy rolled her eyes and looked out the window. If he didn't want to hear what she had to say then she'd just keep it to herself. At twilight, they were back in Nick's neighborhood and Judy saw Sylvia peeking past curtains in a window. Nick paid the taxi driver and, when they returned to the condo, Eric was waiting.

"What took you so long?" Eric asked, looking up from a book. He was reclined in an the armchair in the living room.

"We got some ice cream after the tour," Nick lied.

Eric set his book down and narrowed his eyes. "That's not far away. Why'd you take a taxi back?"

Judy saw Nick look at her in her peripheral, but she didn't return the action. The idea of lying to Eric or Sylvia made her skin itch. They'd done so much for her and had been nothing but courteous unlike Nick. Eric looked back and forth between the two teens.

Sylvia called from the kitchen, saving them from having to answer. "Come get dinner!"

"We'll continue this conversation later," Eric promised. He passed them to go to Sylvia.

Once they were alone Judy let herself glance at Nick. He glared at her like she'd betrayed him.

"I won't lie to them," Judy asserted.

"Too bad you don't feel the same about following me around."

"Well it's a good thing I did because-"

"Don't try to justify it. The only good thing you did today was staying quiet and you can't even do that right."

Whoever had been in the library basement didn't want to be discovered. There was no telling what could have happened if Judy weren't there to distract Nick from the large mammal and this was how he treated her.

"You're such a jerk."

"And you're a stupid Bunny. Looks like we're both something." He quickly turned and scaled the stairs.

Nick came back with different pants, Judy noticed when he joined everyone at the table. She rose an eyebrow at Nick who returned a blank look. Though she didn't want to admit it, Judy wanted the jerk to like her. The secrets and his closed off personality just made him more interesting like a challenge she had to win. She'd thought that he might have at least thanked her for keeping his secret but he just kept his head low and focused on eating. Judy stared down at her food discouraged by his detached temperament. Sylvia had given her an assortment of vegetables and some fruit in more reasonable portions. Everyone else was eating fish that made Judy slightly nauseous when she smelled it. Meats had that effect on most herbivores.

"Judy, why don't you come with me to the grocery store later this week? Then you can pick out the foods you like," Sylvia offered.

"Sounds great," Judy said.

"And how was the ice cream?" Sylvia asked.

"Oh, um-"

"It was fine, right Fluff?" Nick interjected. Who was Fluff? Nick widened his eyes slightly at Judy like he was trying to send a message across the table. It took a second for Judy to realize he was making sure she wouldn't say anything about the library and she hesitated. Nick clenched and unclenched his jaw, a small movement that Judy only noticed because she was trying to decipher him. He must have thought that Judy was considering outing him because his paw was squeezing his fork unnecessarily hard.

"Nicky, Judy doesn't like nicknames," his mother chastised.

"Well I don't like having my parents going against my wishes and adding some Bunny to our family," Nick retorted. Broccoli almost fell out of Judy's mouth. She tried not to show that the comment stung and continued chewing.

"What are you saying Nicky?" Sylvia questioned. Judy was pretty sure the question was made to give Nick a chance to rephrase or apologize.

"I know you're just using her to replace Cody. Guess what? You can't." Judy watched Nick's shoulders relax as if he'd been holding in the words for a while. Eric cleared his throat and glanced at Judy whose foot was thumping insistently. She wanted to ask who Cody was but the everyone's tense positions made her keep quiet.

"Go to your room. I'll be up there in a moment," Eric told Nick. Eric was holding back because Judy was there; she could tell.

"Could I actually?" Judy asked. All three turned to her. "Go upstairs, I mean? I'm not really hungry and I want to get ready for bed."

Sylvia smiled sadly. "Of course, Judy. Go ahead."

Judy heard Nick's parents speaking quietly as she went up to her room.

She collected items for a shower and was glad to be away from the uncomfortable tension downstairs. After her shower, Judy put on night clothes, got her toothbrush from her room, and walked to the hallway bathroom.

She twisted the doorknob but it was locked. "Just a second," called Nick's voice. She decided to go back to her room and wait. She'd had enough of him today, but the door opened before she could move.

She considered telling him about the other mammal that was in the library basement, but his expression stopped her. Nick's mouth twisted like he'd just bit into a lemon. "What happened to you?"

"What do you mean?" Judy looked down at her polka dot shorts and blue T-shirt.

"Your fur's all scraggly. "

Judy's paw shot up to her head to smooth the fur. "I haven't brushed it yet."

"You should. You look homeless."

Judy crossed her arms. She wouldn't tell Nick anything if he continued talking to her like that. "What's your problem?"

His eyes sharpened. "Have you been paying attention, Fluff? You're my problem."

She bit her words out, each one sharp as a pin. "My name is Judy."

"And my name is who gives a shit?" He smiled as if he'd said something nice. "And that's how I joined the soccer team." His voice became overly cheery, catching Judy off guard again.

"What?" Judy asked in confusion.

"Awh, are you two chatting about soccer?" Sylvia's voice came from behind Judy and she realized that Nick was faking for his mother. Sylvia was beaming at them. "I knew you'd find common ground somewhere. "

"Yeah, I guess so," Nick grinned until Sylvia passed them and entered the small office room at the end of the hall.

Judy was done trying to help him. "You should start being nicer to me."

Nick lifted a brow, keeping his voice low. "Are you threatening me?" he asked, mimicking Judy's question from inside the library. Nick looked her over in contempt and then started to move away.

"Maybe," Judy fired back, walking behind him.

"You don't even know anything," he said over his shoulder.

Judy needed to get the last word in. "I know enough." Even her little bits of information would work. He either didn't understand or he thought she was bluffing. Even though telling his parents would probably do the opposite of what she wanted, she had to make him think she was serious.

Nick opened his door and looked down at her. "What, are you going to follow me into my room too?"

Judy stopped, feeling her cheeks warm. "No."

"Better hop along then, Carrots." At the word Carrots, he flicked her necklace, causing it to swing up to her face. She flinched back and Nick was in his room before Judy could tell him not to call her names. Did she really have to blackmail him to get some basic respect? She let out a weary breath and trudged to the bathroom to brush her teeth.

Back in her room, Judy sat on her bed brushing her fur. It was completely dark out and only the lamp aside her bed was on, giving the room a soft, yellow glow. There was a light knock at her door.

"Come in," Judy said and Sylvia cracked the door open.

"Hi, Judy. How are you?"

"I'm fine." She didn't hide her frustration.

Sylvia grimaced and stepped inside. "Eric and I spoke with Nick earlier. Nicky hasn't been feeling himself recently." She spoke softly as if a word too loud would make Judy break. "After our talk, he seemed to be more understanding. Then, when I saw him talking to you about soccer and all, it was so nice. He really does want to try and make our home your home just like Eric and I do. He's just not great at expressing frustrations in a-," Sylvia paused searching for the right word. "A productive way."

Judy nodded, staring down at the floor. The facade that Nick was creating made Judy uneasy. It could make Sylvia and Eric doubt Judy if she ever came to them about a problem with Nick. Was that what he was trying to do? Make his parents think she was a liar so they could be on his side, or worse, send Judy back? She wasn't sure if reversing adoptions was a real occurrence but the thought made her think through some of her plans.

"I have a gift for you" Sylvia sat next to her and offered a white box. Judy took it and saw the image on the front of a smartphone. "We just want you to be able to call us whenever you need to. The reviews say that it's really good. Do you like it?"

"Yes. Thank you." On any other occasion, Judy would have been bouncing off the walls, but questions were running through her mind about the jerk, Nick, and the stupid library.

"Okay, good. Well if you want a snack or something to drink tonight go ahead and get something."

"Won't I wake you up?" Their room was just past the kitchen on the first floor.

"Even if you do, we won't mind." She stood up and walked back to the door.

"Sylvia?" It was the first time Judy had used the Vixen's name. All day she'd avoided it.

"Yes?"

"Who's Cody?"

Sylvia's face fell. "Oh, right. I guess you would ask that. Cody is...was," she corrected. "Nick's older brother. He passed away a little over a year ago." She spoke slowly like she had to hesitate before each word.

Judy wondered why they hadn't mentioned this earlier. "I'm sorry," was all she could think to say. She wanted to ask how he'd died but she knew it was probably a taboo subject. The whole situation seemed strange for them to adopt her after such a huge loss. Maybe Nick was right and she was some sort of replacement. It didn't make sense for them to pick a Bunny, though. There were enough Foxes in the foster care system and she'd even lived with some before.

"It's alright," Sylvia smiled. "Oh and would you want to go to school tomorrow? You don't have to but I thought I'd ask since you're enrolled already."

Judy remembered her goal to make friends and suddenly, her new life had new meaning again. At school she could meet nice mammals her age who wouldn't try to ruin her day. Even better, she wouldn't have to see Nick since he was in a grade above her. "School sounds great."

In the morning, Judy picked out capri jeans and a purple V-neck shirt that matched her eyes. It looked nice in her bedroom mirror and she moved on to brushing her teeth in the bathroom.

"Hey," came Nick's voice from the doorway. His eyes were squinted and his fur was a little messy, but it seemed like he'd woken up on the right side of the bed this morning. He must have come to his senses and decided to be nice to her after all. She knew her plan would work.

"Hi," Judy said, still brushing her teeth.

"I need to piss. Get out." Judy turned on the water and spit out her toothpaste.

"I thought we agreed you would-"

"I didn't agree to anything."

"Well you could at least ask nicely." She was giving him one last chance before she threatened to tell.

Nick yawned. "Don't make me force you out."

Judy was ready to kick the jerk if he even reached for her. "I'll tell them about the library."

"No you won't," Nick said as if he knew it as a fact. "You really want to start trouble your second day here?

Judy hesitated. She wasn't sure if he meant she'd be starting trouble with him or his parents but she wouldn't give in. "Yup." She hopped off her stool and strolled out of the bathroom. Once she neared the stairs Nick spoke again.

"Wait, you're actually serious?"

Now she had him. Judy smiled and spun around. "Well I could reconsider if you, I don't know, introduce me to some mammals at school?"

Nick's ears went straight behind his head. "Not a chance."

"Fine. I'll just have a chat with Eric then."

A corner of his mouth lifted like he knew something she didn't. "Go ahead." He entered the bathroom and closed the door.

Judy grumbled down the stairs and was greeted be Eric and Sylvia eating breakfast in the kitchen. She decided not to waste any time. "I have to tell you something about yesterday."

The Foxes looked concerned. "What happened?" Sylvia asked.

"Nick- he's doing something sketchy and I think you should know about it. He lied to you about where we went and-"

"Hey, Mom, Dad," Nick sped past Judy and sat at the table dressed for school already. He must have rushed to try and save his tail but it was too late. "Ooh. Pancakes." Nick put some on his plate and dug in.

Judy sat at the table too, not wanting to miss a detail of Nick getting in trouble.

Eric spoke first. "Judy just told us some new information about your ice cream trip yesterday."

"Did she?" Nick feigned surprise.

"Did you lie to us, Nicky?" Sylvia asked, frowning.

Nick gulped his food down and sighed. He looked genuinely distraught and Judy wasn't sure what was happening. "I went to see David." The last word held enough weight to make the room silent. Judy glanced around at their downturned eyes in disbelief. They were supposed to be making Nick see she wasn't someone to mess with.

Judy desperately tried to steer the conversation in her favor. "Well he didn't go to anyone's house. It went to this creepy basement in the library an-"

"Judy," Sylvia said softly. Judy stopped talking and sneered an Nick's stupid smirking face. "David is Nick's, uh, friend and his father is in the military. He was deployed a few days ago."

What did that have to do with anything? "But the library. They-"

"His mom works there, Fluff. That's why I was there." Nick interrupted.

"Stop with the nicknames. Judy doesn't like them," Eric said.

Sylvia spoke again. "David's been having a hard time. We would have preferred that Nick told us but we understand why he went now."

Judy wanted to kick something. She glared at Nick. Or someone. Judy ate her food and, while Nick was washing his plate, she got an idea. Judy sneaked over to the stairs so Nick wouldn't notice.

"School starts in an half an hour. You two should go soon," Eric said on from his armchair. She jumped from his voice.

"Oh, yeah. I just need to get something upstairs." It wasn't a total lie so she said it easily. Judy speed walked all the way to Nick's room and shut the door behind her. The last time she'd been in there was when Sylvia showed her around the house. It looked messier than before with some clothes strewn around the floor and wrappers from junk food. Still, the room was nice. Like her room, the walls were white, but that's where the similarities stopped. The desks, shelves, and other surfaces had electronics or decorations on them. This place was lived in unlike Judy's bare room.

She dropped to the floor and searched around for the pants with the black stain on them. That had to be enough to make them question what Nick had really been doing. After a minute of finding nothing, she heard Eric call for her. "Just a second!" Judy called back. If she didn't want clothes to be found where would she put them? She opened the closet and almost cheered when she found a hamper. The excitement died when she didn't see the pants at the top of the pile. She covered her nose and tipped over the hamper. Just as she expected the pants had been stuffed down to the bottom. She snatched the pants, put the clothes back in the hamper, and ran to her room.

She examined the black stain at the bottom of the jeans. It was dry but slightly shiny like ink. When Eric called again, Judy decided to tell them about the pants after school. She hid them in her drawer under her other clothes and sped back downstairs. It wasn't the best piece of evidence but she just needed to build suspicion for when she told them what she saw in the library.

"Got everything you need?" Eric asked her once she put on her backpack. Nick stood at the front door staring impatiently at Judy. He had no idea what she had planned.

Judy smiled. "Yes. Yes I do."


	4. Chapter 4

Moving was something Judy knew a lot about. She'd done it in childhood, adolescence, and she was doing it now. This time was different, though. This apartment was where she would live as Zootopia's first Bunny cop. She could already imagine it: coming home late after a long day of work, setting her badge on her desk, and remembering the mammals she would have helped or saved that day. She was so close now that she'd passed the entrance exam, and it felt like everything was falling into place. Even the weather had been on her side that day. The second all of her things were in the dry, warm apartment, it had started raining. Now if only Judy could find her box of dishes that had disappeared. She'd been searching for almost twenty minutes through the mess of moving boxes stacked around the otherwise empty apartment, but found nothing.

The rushing sounds of wind and rain moved her thoughts to Nick and the times they'd been forced to stay inside to avoid harsh weather. Storms were uncommon in Zootopia so, whenever they appeared, bittersweet memories of how things used to be would creep back to her mind. A loud crack of thunder sounded outside, startling her out of her thoughts.

Judy's back pocket started buzzing and she took her phone out. Speak of the Devil. "Hello?" she answered. The sound on the other end was mostly static. "Hello?" she repeated.

"I said- et me in."

"What? You're here?" Judy went to her door and buzzed it open. "Good. You can help me find my plates."

When Nick got up to her apartment, she still hadn't found the box. Judy opened the door and Nick practically danced into the room. He was dripping wet from the storm outside and waved a paper around in his paw. She was planning out the next box to search when Nick pressed the damp paper onto Judy's face. "Eat it."

Judy swatted at him and grabbed the paper, skimming over it.

The words were there in fine print. "Wow. You actually did it." Judy said, trying not to show her disappointment.

"Did what? Oh, hey Nick." Judy's roommate, Dawn, walked into the room and looked to see what was on the paper. "Holy shit! You passed?" Dawn lifted a paw and Nick high fived it.

Judy continued staring at the writing that said he'd start with her at the police academy in two weeks. "The fact that you have a clean record to do this still amazes me."

Nick took the paper back. "Well I am pretty amazing and it looks like I'm one step closer to winning the bet." Judy felt her body tense up at the thought of losing.

Dawn put a paw to her hip. "It doesn't matter how close you get cause we're both gonna leave you in the dust. Right, Judy?"

"Uh huh," Judy answered, not fully believing her words.

"Oh and there's a box of plates in my room. Not sure how it got there," Dawn said.

"Really? I thought I lost them forever." Judy said, thankful to have an excuse to move away. Her feet padded on the hardwood floors into the orange-painted bedroom and there, next to the mattress, was Judy's box. _Dishes Fragile_ was written in black sharpie on the side, but Dawn must have missed the writing. Judy picked up the box with little effort. She'd been working out in preparation for the police academy and she felt pride in knowing most Bunnies would struggle with lifting as much as she could.

"Does that mean I'm right?" Nick said as Judy passed them.

"Wouldn't you like to know," Dawn answered.

Once the box was on the kitchen counter Judy stopped for a breath. It was easy to hold a first but after a few moments all the dishes weighed her down. "What are you two chatting about?"

Nick followed Judy into the tiny kitchen. "Dawn's just telling me about your secret strategy to beat me."

Dawn rolled her eyes. "Like I'd ever do that." Judy smiled, shaking her head, and started putting her plates in a low cabinet.

"This place isn't as bad as I thought it'd be." Nick said behind Judy.

"Where I'm from, they call that a backhanded compliment," Dawn teased. Judy giggled, placing another dish in the cabinet.

She sensed Nick step nearer to her. "Uh, They wanted to tell you happy birthday," he said in a more serious tone. The two usually avoided saying the word 'parents'.

Judy stopped unloading the dishes. "Tell _Them_ thanks." Her 22nd birthday had been a week earlier and _They_ seemed to be back using Nick as a messenger.

"You could tell them yourself." Judy raised her narrowed eyes to his. "Okay, okay. Just a suggestion." Nick held his paws up in defense. The thought of _Them_ put Judy in a lousy mood and, more than anything, she just wanted to think about the ZPD. That was something that would always keep her positive.

"Wow it's raining so much outside. Isn't that..something?" Dawn said, breaking the awkward silence.

Nick stuffed his paper into his jacket pocket and moved to leave. "Yeah I should probably go. The boss is waiting on me. I just came to rub my success in your face" Nick opened the door. "Literally," he added before leaving. The door clicked closed and Dawn let out a low whistle.

"Well that was weird. Wanna take a break and watch Zootube?" Dawn offered, probably trying to give her some much needed distraction.

Judy sighed. "I thought you'd never ask."

* * *

NOTE: After some trials I found that this method of flashing forward was the most effective. It's only going to happen every three of four chapters and, depending on the reception they can be longer or shorter even. The next few chapters will take place in the original setting. I wish I could show chapter 6 to you guys right now because it's...pretty eventful. Chapter 5 needs tweaking first, though, so hopefully they can be released pretty close together.

ANOTHER NOTE: If it wasn't clear They = Nick's parents *gasp!*


	5. Chapter 5

They took the metro to the high school, something Judy wasn't used to. Before, she'd always ridden in large, yellow school busses filled with teen-aged mammals. This commute had mammals of every kind holding coffees or briefcases or backpacks like Judy's. He stared out the window he looked stiff and uncomfortable. Judy had never seen him stand outside of his usual relaxed state. Was Nick nervous about something? Maybe the school was full of bullies, troubled kids, and strict teachers with nowhere to escape. Judy gripped the metal bar above her tighter and tried to calm her uneasiness.

When she asked Nick about the school he didn't hide his annoyance. "It's a school. Zoogle it or something."

Judy took a long breath before speaking. It was only eight in the morning and he was already getting on her last nerve."Is it that hard to say something about the students or teach-" Judy stopped herself. Why should she rely on Nick to help her with anything? "You know what? Nevermind."

"Good thinking," Nick muttered. He obviously wanted to upset her because he lived in some fantasy world where Judy was somehow the replacement of a male Fox who she'd never met. Judy narrowed her eyes. From that moment she would stop giving him the satisfaction of thinking she cared at all. If he wanted her confused, she'd find out herself and if he wanted her angry, she'd shrug it off. Judy forced out a smiling, contented sigh that came out loud enough for mammals near her to take notice. She'd have to work on that. At least Nick wouldn't think his words angered her.

The night before, she'd learned the functions of her smartphone so it wasn't long before she had the search results of her new school.

 _Henry B. Roarwick High School, colloquially referred to as Roarwick High, and Roarwick, is a public high school founded in 1983. It is located on a 73-acre tract of land in Northern Zootopia at the intersection of Witcher Road and Cedar Spring Lane. Though established as an all-prey trade school, it is now a coeducational institution that emphasizes sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). As one of the three major high schools in the city, it holds mammals of four size groups in two separate sections: The right wing, made for large size A and B mammals, and the left wing, made for smaller size C and D mammals._

 _Updates: Expansion plans have been put in place so that size E and F mammals may attend._

Once out of the metro station, they walked up a pathway to the school. A group of white and grey sheep walked around Judy and Nick. Their wool looked trimmed and fluffed to perfection. It wasn't just them either. Almost everyone that passed looked like they'd dressed for the first day of school, but it was a Tuesday in the middle of the school year. Judy unconsciously smoothed her own fur down beside her ears.

Roarwick High was a tall, L-shaped brick building that seemed filled to the brim with mammals. Judy saw a door about twenty feet tall on one end, and a door about five feet tall in the direction Nick was walking towards. The left wing. Once inside, Judy almost slipped up and asked if one of the school colors was blue since all the lockers were that color but she held it together. This nonchalance thing might be harder than she'd thought. They were twenty minutes early and, so far it seemed like most other schools, but with a much larger cliques seemed to be mainly species based and, in a small part of her mind, Judy knew that if she were walking next to Nick instead of following behind, it would draw attention. Not that she'd want to walk next to the jerk, but she wished it could be as normal as two Bunnies walking together.

Now all she had to do was find friends and school would be everything she wanted.

Nick spoke as they walked through the hall. "Alright, I'm only gonna say this once and then I have to go," She still wasn't sure if Nick's irritated tone was just how he talked or if it was only for her, but the mention of him needing to go somewhere caught her attention. He didn't seem like the type to rush to class or even go to it for that matter. Judy evaded some Beavers and caught up to Nick.

"Now where are you going?" The second the words left her she flinched. She had to act like she didn't care. She rushed to take back her words but Nick spoke first, winning again.

"How about you focus on where you're going?" Nick slowed his steps and pointed at a door beside them. "Main Office. They have your schedule."

They were too close to the door and Judy backed up to read the sign placed high up. Just as Nick had said, it read Main Office so at least he wasn't trying to sabotage her day, which she'd half expected him to do. Judy must have moved back too fast because in a second she collided into someone hard. The impact was enough to make her backpack fall to the floor.

"Watch it, Rabbit." Said the passing Goat.

Nothing reminded Judy of her size like being knocked down. She glared at the Goat's back, slightly bothered that she wasn't strong enough to hold her ground. What might have simply jostled a slightly larger mammal sent Judy toppling down and it was even worse that Nick witnessed it. He watched the Goats retreat as well, matching Judy's expression. Still, he offered no paw to help her up or any words in Judy's defense so she picked herself up and moved to lift her bag. The backpack didn't want to help either because with one tug the zipper came undone, letting all the contents spill onto the linoleum floor.

Great, just great. Judy looked around, but no one seemed to notice or care, and she hurriedly pulled the books, binders, and pencils back into her bag. When Nick leaned down to help Judy smiled slightly at the surprise. This could still be a good day if she just kept a positive outlook. Nick stood first, and Judy realized he'd only picked up one item, studying it.

"What is this?" Judy looked up, swinging her bag back over her shoulders.

"It's my brush."

"Ugh, gross." Nick let it clatter back onto the ground and walked away, wiping his paw on his shirt. The jerk was leaving her alone again in a place she only vaguely knew how to navigate. How was she supposed to find her classrooms in time for the bell? Where would they meet after school? She almost yelled after him, cursing and throwing the brush at Nick's back, but remembered that she didn't care, or at least was trying not to. It had been stupid for her to think he actually wanted to help anyway. She could do this by herself. A few mammals snickered as they passed and Judy felt her cheeks heat as she rushed to pick it up, pausing before putting the brush back into her bag. Did it look that bad? She'd had the same one for years and some of the bristles had fallen out. Maybe it was time for an upgrade, but she didn't feel comfortable asking Sylvia and Eric for anything that wasn't a necessity. Everyone else's fur looked glossy or fluffy, well trimmed, and brushed. Her's was dull and stuck out in some places. She smoothed her fur again before entering the main office.

The female Sheep behind the desk looked up. "Yes?"

"Hi. Um, I was told to come here for my schedule," Judy said, trying to force the positivity into her voice.

"Oh. So you're our new transfer. How are you doing, Judith?" The lady typed a few things into the computer and mechanical sounds came from behind her.

"Fine, but I actually go by Judy."

The Sheep stood to get the paper from the printer behind her. "Judy. Such a nice name."

"Thanks," Judy said, shifting her weight from foot to foot.

"Your file says you come from a smaller town? Well don't worry about the predators in the school. They won't hurt you, alright, Sweetie?" Judy had to replay the words in her head to make sure she'd heard right. She wasn't sure how to respond when the Sheep smiled sweetly as if her advice had been helpful. Some of Judy's old schools had only prey students but it was still offensive to think she would be afraid of predators. The Sheep leaned over the desk, handing Judy a copy of her class schedule. "Here you go. Amber over there is going to show you around today, alright?"

Judy looked behind her to the chairs against the wall. In one sat a mammal she hadn't noticed. The girl stood and walked up to Judy.

"Amber, this is your shadow, Judy. Judy, your student guide, Amber," The Sheep said. Amber was a pretty Rabbit in a short, floral dress that cinched at the waist. Her shiny fur was slightly yellow, like gold, and her round eyes were a light brown.

"Hi." Amber's shoulders curved inward, her paws clasped in front, and she smiled sheepishly. Judy knew this look. It was how Bunnies on TV acted: the cute and unassuming little thing that fluttered her lashes and giggled incessantly. They probably paired them together because they thought Judy would have something in common with this girl. She wasn't sure she even wanted to associate with someone who only helped mammals think they were right in their views about Bunnies.

"Hi," Judy repeated. Though she was used to people assuming things about her, the innocent, ditzy girl stereotype was the one that got to her the most. It was like she had to prove to every mammal she came in contact with that she was an individual that couldn't be stuffed into some generalization. Judy focused on thinking positive thoughts again, pushing down her annoyance with every exhale. Amber was the first nice student Judy had met so far and it wasn't fair to judge her after only one meeting.

Judy reached out to shake paws, hoping her lack of shyness would show Amber, and the woman at the desk, that she wasn't like all the other Bunnies. "I'm Judy. Nice to meet you."

"Ready?" Amber said after the greetings. Judy nodded and they started to leave.

"Oh you two are so cute! Have fun!" Judy was ready to snap at the Sheep for saying "cute" but she wasn't rebellious enough to be rude to a faculty member.

"Bye Ms. Bellwether," Amber said with a polite smile.

Once the door closed behind them, Amber let out a huff. "We keep telling her that calling us cute is a little rude but I guess she forgot."

"Forgot or doesn't care?" It was usually the latter from Judy's experience.

Amber giggled. "Or maybe she's just confused."

"Really, respecting someone's wishes isn't rocket science."

"Exactly," Amber agreed.

It felt nice to vent to someone who understood just how Judy felt. Maybe they had more in common than she'd thought.

Amber looked at Judy's schedule and led her to her first class, English. During the walk, Amber told her that they had two classes together along with a lunch period. "I'll meet you here when your class ends, okay?"

"Yep," Judy said. The teacher didn't notice when Judy entered the classroom so she sat in the back of the room.

"I hope you've all studied in preparation," the teacher said to the students filing into the room. He was an overweight Moose, short for his species, who was passing out papers to every desk. A tight knot formed in Judy's stomach when she realized this was a test. She began to regret starting school in the middle of the week. When the Moose got to Judy's desk a crease formed between his brows, and then smoothed. "Ah, the transfer student. Here," he said, placing the test on her desk.

"But I don't even know what the test is on," Judy objected.

"I wish you luck then."

While attempting the test, Judy tried to focus on the positives. At least there was no coddling, special treatment, or anyone assuming she was a dumb Bunny. This could still be a good day, she thought.

The next few classes went by fairly quickly and the curriculum seemed more like review, though it was the middle of the school year. Judy was waiting outside of her 3rd period classroom to meet Amber when she spotted Nick in his black t-shirt across the hall. He was talking to two girls, a light grey Fox and a Bobcat wearing tight, short clothes that must have broken at least half of the dress code rules. Nick had his arms crossed, bag slung over one shoulder, and an expression that was far from annoyed. Apparently Nick's bad side was shown exclusively to Judy for no sensible reason and it made her eagerness fade again. He clearly knew how to act normally around other mammals.

 _Cool_ was the word that came to Judy's mind, though she hated to think it. Judy stared at them, wondering what his friends would think if they knew about three of them looked cool and unapproachable like the characters that skipped classes and stayed out late in those reruns of after-school specials.

"Ready to go to lunch?" Judy jumped slightly at the peppy voice beside her. Judy hid her grim mood in the face of Amber's golden, beaming smile.

"Yeah." Judy tried to sound peppy but her voice cracked from the high pitch.


	6. Chapter 6

Amber giggled and motioned for Judy to follow. "Wait. Do you know who they are? The ones with the red Fox over there?" Judy asked, stopping to gesture at Nick.

Amber shrugged. "A lot of mammals know them. Why?"

"I was just wondering."

Amber scrunched her nose up. "You don't want to get involved in that."

"Why not?" Judy didn't care for getting involved or whatever Amber was suggesting. Just figuring out what Nick's secret was.

"Well they just aren't like us, you know?" Amber said matter-of-factly. The word, _Us,_ rattled in Judy's mind for a moment before she decided she didn't like it. Amber barely knew anything about her and she was already grouping Judy the way everyone else did. It was true that Nick's crowd didn't really match hers but that was beside the point. For all Amber knew, Judy could have regularly smoked under bleachers and had sex in school parking lots at her old schools.

Judy kept her thoughts silent, not wanting to start a conflict. "Forget it. Let's get lunch." _This could still be a good day._

Once in the cafeteria, Amber introduced Judy to a table full of Rabbits and Hares. They made space for them and Judy felt squeezed on all sides. All of her classes so far had had a lot of Bunnies in them so she'd assumed the whole school was that way, but it was much more diverse in the hallways and cafeteria. Judy took her lunchbox out of her backpack and placed it on the table. It was a small black bag that zipped from end to end, containing a variation of the salad she'd had the day before in the perfect portion size. She smiled at the thought of Sylvia making it for her the way moms did, but it wasn't enough to completely lift her mood. A few times she caught herself scanning the large room for pointy red ears poking above everyone else but then she remembered Nick, being a senior, probably had a different lunch period. Judy picked at her salad for most of the time, blocking out the buzzing chatter surrounding her.

"So Judy," a Bunny, who Amber had introduced as Jake, said. "Do you like the city so far?" He must have noticed she'd been silent for the past half hour.

It was strange being addressed directly since most of the table went back to their own conversations after she sat. Judy shrugged. "Seems fine."

Jake nodded and glanced at Amber quizzically. "Right. Okay…"

"Judy just moved here the other day so she probably hasn't seen much of Zootopia," Amber chimed in.

"Oh. Well we could show her around sometime. What part do you live in? Let me guess. Near Granja Circle?"

"No. I think it's called Clifton Hill," Judy recalled.

"Foxtown?" The Hare named Lissa next to Jake asked. Others closeby seemed to be paying attention now.

Jake laughed. "What did your family lose a bet?"

Amber playfully punched his arm. "That's rude."

Jake's eyes widened. "Well why else would a family of Bunnies move there? The houses aren't even made for us."

Judy started to correct him but the bell rang loudly, interrupting her. The long table shifted around as the dozens of Bunnies and Hares got up for their classes. Judy's salad was only half eaten and she made a mental note not to let Sylvia see that she hadn't finished.

Amber and Judy had health class together so she sat next to her in the front. Judy just stared at her desk for most of the period, studying the long swirling patterns the wood made. It wasn't until the teacher mentioned Rabbits that she looked up.

"And our Rabbit friends have to take extra care not to have kits before graduating."

A student rose her hand. "Is that related to question seven on the homework?"

When the teacher responded Judy glanced around at her class full of mostly Rabbits. Did no one care that the teacher had just singled out and generalized their species? At the ringing bell Judy left the room as fast as possible. Maybe she was overreacting since no one else seemed to care, but it felt wrong to her.

In the hall, Judy handed her schedule to Amber so she could lead Judy to her next class.

"They're always saying 'all Bunnies do this and that.' " Judy said, hoping to find common ground with Amber in complaining again.

Amber smiled. "Do you mean what Mrs. Watson said? I mean we do have a lot of kits. I can't wait to have some so she had a point."

"I don't want kits." It was something Judy regularly said to get a reaction out of mammals who stereotyped Bunnies. It wasn't technically true since she wouldn't mind it one day, but the idea of straying from the norms felt important to her, and a warm sense of pride filled her when she saw Amber's shock. The stress of the day felt easier to manage now.

"You don't want-!?" Amber stopped her shrill exclamation and took a breath. "But that's a part of our biology. You can't be serious."

"Kits are overrated anyway," Judy said, enjoying the reaction.

"I can't believe you said that. That's sinful."

"What?" Unconventional was one thing, but sinful?

Amber waved her hands in front of her. "Oh no, no,. I'm sorry that's not what I meant." Her voice went up a few pitches and she blinked rapidly, matching the mannerisms of the Bunnies on TV again.

It was a thing Bunnies did often to mammals who didn't know better but the fact that it came automatically to Amber was disappointing somehow. Judy took her schedule back. "Whatever. Where's this Art RM class with Mr. Hughes?"

The class went by smoothly since all they did was watch an art history documentary while the teacher snored at his desk. Judy's last class, Mammal History was simple too. The went over the Civil War, a topic Judy had already learned about throughout her schooling and, once the bell rang, she couldn't wait to go home and take a nap.

When Amber met her outside her class, she told Judy that they could still sit together at lunch and in shared classes.

"Thanks," Judy said.

"It's my pleasure. Did you have any other questions about the school?"

Judy looked around and then down at her schedule, noticing there was a tiny RM next to all of her classes. "Hey, Amber? What does this little RM mean?"

"Oh it just means remedial. Hey, do you want me to walk you out? I could introduce you to some more of my friends."

"Remedial?" Judy paused and stared at her paper again.

Amber's light brown brows drew together. "Yeah. It's to build up your learning before you take regular classes next year. If we go now we might catch them on the steps." Amber reached out to pull her forward but Judy backed away from her grasp.

"I- I know what it means." She closed her paw into a fist, scrunching up the paper in the process. "Where do I go to fix this?" Whoever had scheduled Judy's classes had just looked at her species and put her in the stupid kid classes. She couldn't catch a damn break.

Amber looked as if Judy were speaking another language."Fix it?"

"Yes," she hissed. Judy wanted to be seen as someone smart with potential, to not be grouped in with all the other Bunnies, to break everyone's low expectations, and even for Nick to treat her like a normal mammal, but nothing could go her way.

"But..why?"

"I'm not like you, okay? I don't belong there." Judy snapped, pointing at the balled up paper she held. She wasn't a genius or anything but she at least deserved to be in average classes and they wouldn't even give her that.

"It's really not that bad. You get to hang out with other Bunnies and the work is light."

Judy groaned and squeezed her paws on either side of her head. In that moment, Judy wished she could be a Fox so that she wouldn't have to go through this. It was insulting and humiliating. "Maybe I don't care about being with other Bunnies. Maybe I want to be challenged and don't want light work. Maybe some of you like to be cute and dumb like everyone thinks but that's not me. Now tell me who I talk to so I can transfer to the classes I'm supposed to be in." Amber frowned with her arms crossed over her belly like she was shielding herself from Judy's words. Judy hadn't meant for it to come out like that but she was pissed off. Why should she have to be nice anyway? Because she was a Bunny?

Amber took her back to the Main Office and left with a quick wave. Ms. Bellwether, the Sheep from earlier, sat at the desk and smiled when Judy sped in.

Judy didn't waste any time rushing her words out. "Hi. I have a question about my class schedule. Is there someone I can talk to about-"

"Whoa, whoa. Slow down, Honey," the Sheep said, typing into her desktop computer.

"It's Judy," Judy huffed.

Ms. Bellwether stopped typing and swivelled her chair to Judy. "What can I do for you?"

Judy took a slow breath and explained the issues with her classes.

The Sheep nodded. "Okay Sweetie, I can help you if you'd like to talk to the counselor. It seems like you have a lot of stress."

"What? No. You're not listening to me." Judy felt her foot start to thump rapidly.

"I am. We just want this to be an easy experience for you."

"If you really want that then please put me in the regular classes."

Bellwether shifted her glasses up on her head. "At this point in the school year it's just inconvenient for us and for you and there's a chance you won't do well because we don't know your level of-"

"Let me test out of it then." Bellwether seemed to hesitate and Judy took the opportunity. "Please. I'm not asking for much."

"Alright," Bellwether conceded. "I'll see if I can set up an appointment about your schedule. You should receive an email about it within the next few-"

"Thanks." Judy said, remembering that Nick was waiting for her in front of the school. She didn't want to give him a reason to mess with her more than he already did so she left the room without a goodbye.

The halls seemed longer with barely any mammals in them and it seemed to take forever for Judy to finally get out. Once she did, she looked around for Nick. It only took fifteen minutes of searching for her to realize, "He ditched me."


	7. Chapter 7

Judy's stomped up the sidewalk leading to the house. It had taken her two metro rides, since she'd taken the first one in the wrong direction. A waste of time, that's what it was. The whole school day had been a waste of time. Judy did want to be positive. She wanted to believe that her day couldn't get any worse, but to think that would be naive at that point. It could always get worse. So maybe she forgot to mention that she'd stay after school for an extra ten minutes. That didn't mean it was okay for that jerky, good-for-nothing, scraggly thing called Nick to leave her behind. The whole way back Judy revelled in ways to get him back so he would know just how she felt. Oh, she'd get him and she'd make him sorry he ever messed with her. Judy smiled for the first time in hours from the thought of it.

At the house, she almost rang the doorbell before remembering she had a key. She had to get over this feeling like a guest or an outsider. That's just what Nick wanted and Judy refused to give him the satisfaction. In her room, though, she felt the smallest sense of belonging. Once there, she set her bag down and fell back onto her bed, letting out a long breath. Thoughts swarmed Judy's mind. The school, her peers, adoption, the city, and Nick. Words from the past few days echoed annoyingly inside her head so she got up and paced around the room. Maybe she should go down the hall to give Nick a piece of her mind. No, bad idea. She had to play this smart.

"Ugh this is so stupid," she said to the empty room. Nick was nothing compared to what the school was doing. Not just the classes but the Bunnies like Amber. They wanted her to sit down and shut up about it. Be a good little Bunny who hopped happily along past any problem. She would never be like them.

Judy went up to the mirror in the corner of her room and studied her reflection. Maybe she could change her look to be treated normally. She imagined the grey Fox Nick had been talking to earlier in the day. The Vixen had worn a black shirt that stopped right below the ribcage. The fur atop her head had been kept longer and was brushed forward, stopping right above her long eyelashes. Her face had been stoic, mouth in a straight line and eyes uncaring. No one would have called her cute or put her in remedial classes because of her species. Judy fixed her gaze on her reflection and rubbed the fur on her head forward like the Fox from school. She turned and tilted her head to see the result. It looked pretty bad so she smoothed it all back again, chuckling at how ridiculous it looked on her. She pulled at the shoulders of her shirt and fluttered her lashes at the mirror. Judy tried not to laugh at her reflection. She wasn't bad looking but the effect wasn't very attractive. For a moment Judy forgot about everything and focused on looking less cute and more edgy. She tried other poses and some of them actually looked pretty good.

Judy went over to her door and locked it to avoid being caught playing in the mirror. Once she returned to her reflection, she he lifted her shirt up to the lengths that some other girls wore their shirts and was glad to see that puberty had helped fill out her hips, creating a curvy shape. It wasn't that Judy wanted to change herself, but knowing that she could, if she wanted to, did give her something to be proud of. Judy preferred comfortable clothes over the clothes that looked like they were squeezing the life out her peers. Her capris actually were a bit tight on her, now that she thought about it. She didn't expect Sylvia and Eric to know her exact clothing size but, after wearing them all day, Judy decided it was time to change into leggings.

"Stop! Stop!" a voice cried from her closet.

Judy screamed and fell onto the floor in her effort to jump away. While on the floor she hurried to pull her pants back up and saw Nick standing in front of the open closet door. "What the hell are you doing?" she whisper yelled. Judy rarely cursed but the situation more than justified it.

Nick put his paws up. "This is not what it looks like."

"What does it look like then?!" Suddenly she remembered what she'd been doing in the mirror and her face burned in embarrassment.

"Y-you stole my- you took the pants from the library. I was gonna wash them and they were gone! Then you came in and I wasn't just going to let you keep them for whatever plan you had, I mean-"

"But why were you spying on me?!" Nick was babbling and Judy spoke when he took a moment to breathe.

"Shhh. I wasn't!" Nick waved his arms frantically, trying to quiet her down.

"What do you call that then?" Judy stood up, throwing her arms at the closet he'd just exited.

"I thought you'd leave the room or something!" Their heads whipped towards the sound of knocking at the door.

"Judy? Are you okay? I thought I heard you yelling," Sylvia's voice asked.

"Uh, I'm fine!" Judy replied, trying to keep the shrillness out of her voice. The doorknob twisted but caught on the lock. Nick rushed back in the closet and slid the door closed. Judy shook her head and opened her room door a crack, forcing a smile.

"Why did you lock your door?" Sylvia asked, peeking through.

"I- I was just changing clothes," Judy stammered.

"Oh. Well have you seen Nicky? I can't find him anywhere."

"Um, I don't think he's home yet."

Sylvia frowned. "But his backpack is downstairs."

Judy had no idea what to say next. "It...is?"

Sylvia tapped her chin. "Ah, I think he dropped his stuff here and went out again. He does that sometimes. I'll just call him."

Judy made a quick sound of agreement and shut the door.

"She gone?" the voice in the closet asked.

"Yes," Judy huffed, "Now get out." This was enough stress to last a week.

Nick stepped into the room, cautiously this time. "Can't. I'm not in the house remember?"

Judy rolled her eyes. This had to end. "Fine, I'll go."

"Good, you can cause a distraction."

"What? I'm not doing anything for you." She couldn't believe Nick would ask her for anything after the way he'd been treating her.

"Well the other option is having to explain this." Nick crossed his arms as if he'd already won the argument.

"I don't understand enough to explain it anyway!" Her voice was becoming panicked again. It was his fault they were in this mess. His fault she had to leave school by herself and his fault she would never feel at home in this place. And, on top of that, he'd been watching her like some Peeping Tomcat.

Nick bent down to Judy's level and shushed her again. Judy was seeing red. Nick had no right to ask any favors. "Alright calm down, Fluff."

"Calm down!? You snuck in here and spied on me like-"

"No, uh-uh. You're not gonna twist this so I look like the bad guy. This is your fault for taking my shit."

Judy felt her chest heaving as her anger boiled over. He had some nerve trying to blame her. Nick kept talking, "I already told you I thought you'd just leave. That little show you put on was cringey at most so don't-" He didn't get to finish speaking before Judy's paw connected to his face, hard. She didn't even have time to think and she wasn't sure whether to stand her ground or apologize. He deserved it anyway for what he was putting her through.

Nick stood straight up and held his cheek, staring incredulously at her with glowing green eyes. "Did you just slap me?"

In that moment, Judy was sure Nick would strike back and she backed away slowly. Nick moved forward, keeping in pace with storming eyes locked on Judy's every movement.

Nick spoke gruffly. "Don't touch me like that again."

Judy snapped out of her fearful stupor, realizing her back was against the wall. "Another threat?" Judy asked, pushing past Nick to get to the door. "Out," she ordered. "I don't care if you get caught." If she let him stay a second longer she was afraid she'd kill him.

Nick stayed in his place. "Pants first. Then I'll leave."

For a moment Judy hesitated, wondering if it was even worth it to keep them hidden. Then she had another idea. Judy opened her door wide and yelled, "Sylvia!"

Judy turned back to Nick as the sounds of Sylvia's footsteps neared the stairs. She'd won this round and they both knew it.

"Judy? What's wrong?" Sylvia responded from downstairs. Judy: 1; Nick: 0.

Nick nodded absently and Judy swore she saw a hint of a smile. Not a nice, happy sort of smile. It was the kind that promised something, the kind that accepted a challenge. Nick stepped out of the room and moments later, Sylvia stepped into the hallway.

"What happened?" Sylvia asked once she saw Judy standing in the doorway.

Judy shook her head. "I saw a bug."

"A bug."

"Yeah," Judy breathed. The idea of lying made her stomach sour but if she told the truth it would only create more drama.

Sylvia sighed after a few seconds of silence, "Alright. Well the social worker told us that loud outbursts or acts of rebellion come from the fear of being taken back to… well, you know. Just- you don't have to test us, Judy. We want you here with us, okay?" She reached out, pulling Judy into a warm hug. The red fur of her arms tickled Judy's nose but Judy still breathed deeply. Even though Sylvia reached the wrong conclusion, Judy took comfort in what she said and most of the anger left Judy, leaving only the disappointment from the day.

Sylvia released her. "Oh no. What's got you so upset? You look like you're about to cry."

Judy blinked rapidly and she prayed that Nick hadn't overheard what she'd said. Suddenly, a flash of Nick's red fur passed behind Sylvia and down the stairs as silent as a mouse. So much for that wish.

The jerk still used her as a distraction even though Judy had refused to help. "I just want to be alone for now," Judy mumbled. Judy: 1; Nick: 1.

After Sylvia left, Judy changed her pants but kept her eyes on the closet. Finally comfortable, she laid on her bed and tried to quiet her mind as the sky grew dark.

 _A sound came from the closet and Judy ran to it, flinging the door open. Nick flew at her and she ducked. Then, with a battle roar she punched, kicked, and pushed him until he scurried away. The sound of cheers filled the room and Ms. Bellwether handed Judy her new class schedule. She threw her fists up in triumph._

Judy awoke to blackness. She sat up and turned on the lamp next to her bed. How late was it? The alarm clock on her bedside read 9:51 PM, meaning she'd been asleep for almost five hours. Judy sat up and stretched before heading downstairs to eat something.

"Did you have a nice nap?" Eric asked from the sofa in the living room. The stocky red Fox was the only one there so everyone else must have been in their own rooms.

"Yeah, it was nice," Judy yawned.

"Nicky told us you weren't feeling well so we let you sleep. Leftovers are in the fridge if you'd like some." Eric turned back to some history program playing on the TV.

Excluding her from dinner was Nick's payback, Judy snorted. He'd have to do better than that to score any points there. In fact, he'd done her a favor since she wouldn't have to see his stupid, smug face while she ate. Judy strolled to the fridge and made a plate of the same food from the day before. Before sitting at the table, Eric called Judy over to watch the show.

"This one's about ancient mysteries and if aliens are the ones who took us out of the Feral Age."

"You don't really believe that, do you?" Judy asked, plopping down on the couch with her plate.

"No, but it's fun to watch."

Judy listened to the narrator speak as images of old paintings and sculptures flashed across the screen:

" _...While the mythical metropolis has never been found, only half a century ago, tomb-robbers searching along the Dolland River stumbled upon a gravesite dating back 1,500 years to a pre-Tillandsian civilization known as the Tolima. Among the funerary objects found there were hundreds of small two- to three-inch gold figurines. Many of those looked like insects and fish, a symbol of Carnivore mammals shifting towards a non-predatory diet. And out of those hundreds that they found, they also found about a dozen that are eerily reminiscent of modern-day fighter jets…"_

When the show switched to commercials, Eric spoke. "How was school today?"

Judy hesitated for a moment. "It was alright."

She waited for a probing question like one she'd expect from Sylvia but none came. She sort of liked that Eric didn't always talk about feelings or even talk much at all. She didn't really want to tell him about her class schedule anyway. If she was going to break from Bunny-norms she'd have to do some things for herself.

They watched the show until the end credits, not saying much besides small talk during advertisements for perfumes and movies. After the show, Eric yawned, pulling at the neck tie on his pin-striped button up. "Well I'm off to bed. I hope I didn't bore you with my 'crazy conspiracy shows' as Nick likes to call them."

Judy shook her head. "No I really liked it."

Eric stood and walked over to the light switch next to the front door. "Well there's a 12-hour marathon going on right now if you want to keep watching. Want the lights off?"

"Um, sure." Getting lost in all the clues and silly conclusions was just what Judy needed to get her mind off of things.

Eric flicked the switch, leaving only the dim kitchen and the TV as the only sources of light. Dramatic music played as the opening title sequence showed up. Judy wasn't sure how long she sat there, chewing on greens and carrots, but at least four or five episodes had passed and she was starting to wonder if the show was actually onto something. Judy startled as the lock on the front door made clicking sounds. Someone was coming in and Judy felt her fur stand on end. The door creaked open and Nick's telltale red fur shifted as he turned to quietly shut the door. He was sneaking into the house and Judy wondered if she should say something or ignore him.

Nick turned back around and jumped back a step at seeing Judy. "Holy sh- What are you doing awake?" He whispered.

Judy felt her face grow hot and rolled her eyes, pushing the unreasonable embarrassment away. She had just stopped thinking about the incident in her room and now Nick was there reminding her again. "Well I'd be asleep but for some reason I'm not tired at all. Any guesses why?" She referred to the dinner she was conveniently left out of.

Nick headed towards the stairs. "Probably because it was nice pretending you were gone."

Judy squeezed her eyes shut. After everything he'd done Nick should have been on his knees begging for her forgiveness. Somehow Judy would show him that she wasn't worth messing with. She'd have to get even in her own way.


	8. Chapter 8

_**Hey all! I'm posting this short chapter so you guys know I'm alive and still writing. I will update again once I figure out some minor details. Story planning is hard and I really want to take this one a bit more seriously (because I need to challenge myself and improve my writing) Here's the thing: I'm having trouble with beginning the main plot/conflict of the story in a way that flows well. All of these parts have acted as more of an introduction to the story and I'm so anxious to get to it that finishing the introduction stage has been this weird obstacle. Bear with me and hopefully the story will be done by this fall. (Probably winter but I can dream)**_

Lunch period the next day was filled with problems. First of all, Judy had no lunch to eat, she had no idea where to sit, and the text message Sylvia had just sent made her throat close completely.

SYLVIA: I'm sorry Judy. My job is nowhere close to the house and I can't leave. I really would if it were possible I'm sorry. Nick probably has some cash on him. Just tell him I'll pay him back after school. Is that alright?

Judy was leaning against the wall outside the cafeteria doors, sliding a paw down the left side of her face. She could only imagine the look of contempt on Nick's face when she'd ask him for money. Some of the mammals filing into the cafeteria gave her odd looks and Judy stared right back at them, only smiling when they glanced away uncomfortably. Breaking away from Bunny stereotypes was easy as long as she did the opposite of what was expected. After a while, everyone would _have_ to take her seriously. Right? Either way, it didn't help the situation she was in.

Her morning went like this: Upon waking up, Sylvia informed Judy that Nick decided to leave early for school. "Don't worry though. He promised he'd take you home," she'd said. As if that would make Judy feel any better. On the metro, a creepy old Hare asked Judy if she had a boyfriend while she pretended not to hear. Later on, once she finished second period, she realized she'd left her lunchbag at the house.

Now she stood against the wall wondering what she should do. She could go beg for handouts from Nick or she could stay hungry. She could head into the cafeteria and go through the stress of avoiding Amber's _Bubbly-Bunny_ table or she could avoid the room entirely. With a shrug, Judy walked down the hall in the opposite direction everyone else went. She wasn't sure where she'd go but the idea of walking aimlessly in an empty hallway seemed un-Bunny enough to her. Her species was always in groups. After passing dozens of blue lockers a buzzing sound came from the back of her shorts and Judy grabbed her phone. Her throat tightened again when she saw who the text was from.

NICK: Where are you?

She took a deep breath, calming her anxiety. Judy wasn't going to tell him about the lunchbox or ask for money. She'd rather starve.

JUDY: Busy

NICK: Don't you need lunch money or something?

Of course Sylvia told him. Now Nick probably thought Judy put her up to it, too afraid to ask Nick directly. Now Judy looked like a coward and Nick was probably patting himself on the back for thinking he was right. Judy knew Sylvia meant well but did she have to include Nick in everything?

NICK: Where's that money I gave you outside Ray's?

JUDY: Ray's?

NICK: The ice cream shop. When you followed me around everywhere

Judy had put it in her dresser with the stained pants that day. She'd have to give back that money. She didn't want to owe anything to Nick.

NICK: Spent it, didn't you

Judy started to type a very colorful message in all caps but thought better of it. Looking around, she realized she was near the main office.

JUDY: I'm going to a meeting. Can't talk

Judy walked a little taller once she entered the office. Now she looked like the adult, having no time to indulge in Nick's juvenille teasing. She had real issues she had to solve starting with her class schedule. Ms. Bellwether looked up as Judy strode right towards the front desk.

"Can I set up my appointment for changing my schedule?" Judy asked, hopping in place from the sudden rush of determination.

"Um..." The Sheep shifted her glasses. "Usually when a student comes in for help they receive an email within the next two to three days from the office. We can't always be as fast as, uh, what's that app you kids use? EweChat?"

Judy's stomach growled but she ignored it. "Yeah okay," Judy began. Ms. Bellwether looked behind Judy and her eyes widened. "But do you think we could speed up this… what? What's wrong?"

"Some meeting," said a voice behind her. Judy spun and there was Nick with his phone in one paw and a water bottle in the other. He uncapped it and casually took a sip while Judy stared open-mouthed.

"How did you know where I was?" she accused.

"Educational guess." Judy rolled her eyes and turned back to Ms. Bellwether. Maybe if she just ignored Nick he'd leave.

Ms. Bellwether spoke up, "Mr. Wilde. It's not the senior lunch period. Do you have a pass to be out of class?"

She heard Nick shifting around. "Hmm. I can't seem to find it. Must have dropped it on the way here."

Ms. Bellwether narrowed her eyes at the annoying Fox. _Tell me about it_ , Judy thought, wishing Nick would scurry away. "Please go back to class, Mr. Wilde," Bellwether said coldly.

"Yeah, I just need to handle something." Ms. Bellwether started to speak again but Nick cut her off. "I'll be quick, don't worry."

Judy refused to acknowledge him and Ms. Bellwether objected, saying something that Judy wasn't listening to. She sensed Nick coming nearer and began to feel foolish for pretending he wasn't standing right next to her. She tried to glare at him the way she did with the students outside the cafeteria but Nick returned with an easy smile. The smile was fake, obviously. Or at least she thought it was. It had to be. Right?

"Are you gonna take this or not?" Nick asked. He looked ready to laugh and Judy realized he'd been holding money out to her. Was he being nice to her now? Judy took the dollars hesitantly like he'd spring back at any second and spray her with neon colored silly string like they did in those prank shows. It was nice that he was acting civil for once. Judy almost thanked him but she didn't trust this sudden change in demeanor.

"Well. Back to class, as Ms. Bellweird-" Nick snorted and tried again. "Back to class." He backed out of the room before Ms. Bellwether could deal out whatever punishment seemed to be brewing in her mind. She huffed and looked to Judy.

"How well do you know that boy, Judy?" Bellwether asked, tapping a pen rapidly on her desk.

Judy suddenly felt like the wrong answer might affect the way Ms. Bellwether treated her. "Not that much. I have to go. See you Ms. Bellwether," Judy waved and rushed out of the room, half expecting Nick to be waiting outside the door, and hoping that, if he was, he hadn't overheard. But no one was in the hall and Judy took it as a bit of good luck. She wasn't ashamed to have Foxes as family but a strange sense of guilt came when she ran away from the question. What if stating her real relationship to Nick would affect her chances of getting the classes she wanted?

In the cafeteria, Judy got a salad with extra carrots and frowned at the wilting leaves once the lunch lady handed her the food. At least the carrots were fresh and crunchy. Judy wouldn't let herself look over at Amber's table and she sat at an empty one with two chairs. It was only moments later that the bell rang, signalling the end of lunch. Judy regained some control over things in the next classes by answering questions and taking extra notes. Hopefully, with good grades it would be easier to make a case for changing her class schedule.

When the final bell rang, Judy joined the large crowd charging for the school's exit. She waited near the front doors for Nick. All around her were groups. Most were the same or consisted of similar species, though a few diverse circles were here and there. Then there was Judy by herself, wishing there was a group she could join where no one would put her in some box based on her species. That wasn't much to ask, was it? At her old schools friendships came without effort through being stuck with the same mammals everyday. It helped that she'd always had a foster sibling to talk to during those first weeks.

"Hey. Helloo. Judy?" A grey paw waved in front of her face, pulling Judy from her thoughts. Standing to her side was Jake, the Bunny she'd met at lunch the day before. He wore a light blue button up with khakis and a frown. "Did you, uh, say something to Amber?"

She felt a twinge of disappointment at seeing him, though she wasn't sure why. Judy shrugged and Jake's ears fell straight down. "Not that I'm accusing you of anything. I just think you may have been a little harsh with her."

"So she told you what happened?" Judy asked, looking down. At first Judy hadn't thought much of it but now that others knew, her outburst from yesterday felt embarrassing rather than cool and rebellious.

Jake nodded, shoving his paws in his pockets. "Yeah and she wasn't too happy about it."

"I know." Judy looked back up. "Could you tell her I'm sorry?"

"I think you should be the one to do that," Jake countered.

"Well I-"

"I've been looking everywhere for you." Nick said, roughly. The Fox walked up to Judy, and she noticed Jake stiffen. Nick looked different from when she'd seen him in the main office. Instead of the playful energy from earlier, it seemed like he had none at all. Judy felt Nick touch her elbow and checked to see Jake's reaction. He was wide eyed and visibly confused but this time Judy didn't take pride in breaking the norms. In fact, she wished Nick would have waited for Jake to leave.

Nick pulled her arm and she stumbled back. "Come on. I have to take you home and I have plans later."

Jake looked like he was doing a complex math problem in his head. "Judy? Do you know him?"

That was a stupid question. She saw Nick roll his eyes and they were moving again. Did Jake think Nick just went up to strangers and dragged them away babbling about nonsense? "Yeah," she answered over her shoulder before they were out of earshot.


End file.
